All cultures have a way to celebrate those who have died. It might be the funeral, one could say just stories, or it could be the huge holiday, we in the United States know that Halloween. But some also come close to death as Ma'Nene festival held in the province of Tana Toraja in Sulawesi, Indonesia, where people spend quality time with their deceased - literally.
Ma'Nene is a festival of ancestor worship. When a person dies, his body is mummified using natural ingredients and buried in rock-cut tombs. This conservation allows the family to come back and visit every year.
Paul Koudounaris
The festival, which has no fixed date but usually held in late August, allows people to see their relatives. This woman is having an emotional moment on the coffin of her dead husband.
Paul Koudounaris
But it goes further than just see coffins.
Paul Koudounaris
Some of the bodies still stalled so that the family can gather around them, as they would if the person was alive.
Paul Koudounaris
Looking into the face of death as it is not seen as scary or sad, but rather as a way to connect with death - and transcend.
Paul Koudounaris
This mummy is particularly distressing - it's a baby.
Dust and debris are removed from the body, then the body dressed. Personal effects such as glasses of the man are preserved, as well.
Paul Koudounaris
Paul Koudounaris
Paul Koudounaris
Paul Koudounaris
People always respect the possible dangers of breathing dust, so wear masks.
Paul Koudounaris
Paul Koudounaris
pictures you see here were taken by photographer Paul Koudounaris, who specializes in capturing how different cultures come together, discuss, and celebrate death. This festival may seem macabre to people from other cultures, but for the people of Tana Toraja, it is a sincere expression of a love that even death can conquer. "For the villagers, it is a sign of the love they still share to those who have died but are still present spiritually," he says. "It is a way to show their respect by letting them know that they are still members of the family group, and still have an important place in local society."
Paul Koudounaris
Many people think looking into a face like this is scary, but for the people of Tana Toraja, it is still the faces of their beloved parents.
Paul Koudounaris
Paul Koudounaris
Paul Koudounaris
Ma'Nene may seem strange, perhaps even tasteless, to those outside this culture. But in a society that seeks the furthest possible death, it is refreshing to see people embrace and celebrate so easily.
You can see more pictures Koudounaris its website and Facebook page, where you can also learn more about the ways people around the world honor their dead.
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